Road-grading machine.



J. Amm. ROAD GRADING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T. 10, 1911.

E. J. AKINS.

ROAD GRADING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED oGT.10,1911.

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Z SHEETS-SHEET 2 ATTDRNEY.

31 mgm/@ my 34,1914.

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i' STA ROAD-GRADING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914.

Application filed October 10, 1911. Serial No. 653,895.

To all'whom'z'tmay concern.'

vBe it known that 1,'-EDWIN' J. AKINs, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Moundsville, count ofvMvarshall, and State of West Virginia, ave invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Road-Grading Machines, ofv which the following isa specification. V

This invention rel te broadly to road Vbuilding machines, and specifically toa road grader and scr'aper.

'ect of the invention is t0 provide-a self-propelled, or traction, vehicle embodying a road building machine adapted to reduce the ground toan even grade asit advances thereover.

A further object is to provide a machin of the character mentioned whereby low mounds, banks, or ridges of earth are dug yup as it advances, and'whereby the loosened dirt is :removed or shifted aside for-forming a regular roadway of' substantially even grade, the machine itself advancing over the newly made roadway.

With these and other objects in View, all of which will hereinafter be made apparent, the inventionresides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my lnvention; Fig. 2 is a side velevation of the same;l

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Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same;-

and Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-`4, Fig. 1.

4 Referring to said drawings in-whicli like Adesignating characters distinguish like parts throughout the several views 1 1 indicate opposite side portions of the frame of a', movable carriage or selfp'ropelledl vehicle,v which may be of any appropriate character,

but which is preferably of that' type corn'- mon in traction engines'. Journaled in'siiit-L able bearings 2 provided-at the ends of'said side portions 1 of the frame is a transversely' disposed shaft 3 whichis driven by vany suitable ty e lo f gearing, the gearing arrangement erein shown being but' one of -various kinds whichinight be employed,

and comprising a suitably driven drive* shaft 4 having a pinion 5 in mesh with a gear wheel 6 mounted on a 4shaft 7 located on the frame parallel to and at a spaced distance from said shaft 3. Motion is communicated from the shaft 7 to the shaftv 3 through intermeshing gears 8 and 9 respectively carried by Said shafts. Rotatablc on said shaft 3 outside the frame are traction 60 wheels 10 to which motion is communicated in any appropriate manner, as by pinions 11 carried by the shaft 7 in engagement with internal gears 12 carried by, or forming part of, said wheels.

Fixed on the opposite ends of the shaft 3 are sprocket wheels 13 connected by sprocket chains 14 to sprocket wheels 15 fixed upon a shaft 16 located in front of and parallel to said shaft 3 and journaled in the front 7,@ ends of longitudinally directed brace-arms or bars 17 having their rear ends loosely mounted on the ends of shaft, rotationof said shaft 16 being thus communicated from said shaft 3. i 75 Fixed upon the shaft 16 is a plurality of spaced radial arms-18 upon which isl rigidly mounted, as by bolts 19, a helical blade ,20 which is adapted to propel laterally dirt, or loosened earth, with which it comes in en- 30' gagement. For digging up, for loosening, banks or mounds of earth a's-the carriage advances, suitable plowsharesv or shovels 21 are rigidly mounted upon the' outer ends of the arms 18 to project beyond theV pe- 85 ripheral edge of the helical blade 21. Rotation of the shaft 16 thus causes the shovels v,21 to enter and break up ground elevated labove the plane of the roadway over which the machine travels, and the revolving blade, 9o operating against the breastof earth, engages and moves theloosened dirt laterally to an out of the way position.

1n operation, the carriage is moved forward at a low rate of speed, regulated-according to the character of the earth acted u on.v `As isobvious, -a' change-speed gear o appropriate type may be employed whereby the speedof the carriage may be increased or decreasedl 'at will without pro- 10o ducing a corresponding change of speed of the earth digging and shifting mechanism. Suitable means is provided for elevating and lowerin the shaft 16 as may be desired, the` means erein shown comprising incline f supporting arms 23 having their front end of said supports 24 are extended rearwardly whereby tension may be placed upon said supportsl for inclining lthe latter rearward and to thus elevate the digging and shifting mechanism. stituting the present invention may. be

f mounted to travel forward with the move? ment of the vehicle by which they are car-A `ried; or, said parts may be mounted upon a carriage which is nmvable independent ofy the movement of said vehicle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

, l. In a road building machine, the combination with a movable carriage, of a shaft journaled on the carriage frame and lying transversely of the direction of movement tending arms having a spiral disposition` on said second shaft, earth-loosening shovels carried by said radial arms, and a helical blade mounted in fixed relation to said sec i ond shaft and of which said shaft forms the axis whereby loosened earth ismoved laterally from the path of the advancing carriage'to afford asolid and smooth roadway over which the wheels of the latter advance.

2. In a road grader, a traction vehicle, a

shaft journaled infront of said vehicle,

As is obvious, the parts con gearing interposed between the .vehicle and former effects rotation of the latter,means vfor bracing said shaft with respect to said vehicle, r-.ulial spirally disposed arms mounted on said shaft, digging instruments mounted upon the louter ends of said arms, and a continuous blade disposed spirally about said shaft and rigidly supported by said arms whereby earth loosened by said instruments is shifted laterally in a horizontal direction out of the path of the advancing vehicleto form a smooth and solid roadway for the Wheels of the latter.

3. In a road grader, a traction vehicle, a shaft ,'journaled infront of said vehicle, gearing interposed between the vehicle and said shaft whereby traction movement of the former effects rotation of..`th e latter, means for bracin said, shaft with respect to said vehicle, ra 'al spirally disposed arms mounted on said shaft, digging instruments mounted upon the outer ends of said arms, a blade disposed spirally about .said shaft and rigidly 'sustained by said' arms, whereby earth loosened by said instruments is shifted horizontally in a direction trans verse to the line of travel of the vehicle to forma Solid and smooth roadway for the wheels of the latter, and means for elevating'a-nd lowering said shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature -in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN J. AKINS.

Witnesses: I,

J. F. FERRELL, E. S. MILLER. 

